Crazy Maple Glazed Pork Ribs

Special Equipment

Hickory wood chunks, soaked for a minimum of 1 hour
17” wide heavy aluminum foil

Ingredients

2 racks meaty Ontario pork back ribs, each 1 1/2 – 2 lbs (680 – 907 g)
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
1/4 – 1/3 cup (60-80 mL) Bone Dust™ BBQ Spice or your favourite rib rub

For Oven Braising Method:
1 bottle of your favourite beer
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 jalapeños, chopped

Crazy Maple BBQ Sauce:
1 cup (250 mL) barbecue sauce
1 oz (30 mL) whiskey
1/2 cup (120 mL) maple syrup
1/4 cup (60 mL) or more sriracha hot sauce

Optional Topping: Crispy fried onion pieces

Remove the membrane from the bone side of the back ribs.
Brush the ribs all over with a little oil and season the ribs with the Bone Dust™ BBQ Seasoning, massaging the seasoning into the meat. Cover and refrigerate and allow ribs to marinate in the rub for 4-6 hours or overnight then choose next steps from either the Oven Braise Grill or the Smoked BBQ Method.

Instructions

Oven Braise Grill Method:

1. Preheat oven to 225°F (107°C).
2. Take a large roasting pan or lasagna pan and add the beer, onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Lay the racks of ribs into the pan meat side down. Cover pan with a sheet of plastic wrap, making sure to seal it well with no holes. Cover plastic wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Place in oven and allow ribs to braise for 3-4 hours. The bones should just wiggle in the meat and not pull clean out. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes to slightly cool. Peel back plastic wrap and foil and allow the ribs to cool completely.
4. Whisk barbecue sauce, whiskey, maple syrup and sriracha in a medium-sized bowl until combined. Brush ribs liberally with the sauce.

Preheat grill to 450 – 550°F (282-287°C).

1. Grill ribs for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until lightly charred, basting frequently with the sauce. Just before you remove the ribs from the grill give the ribs a final baste with the sauce. Make them saucy!
2. Sprinkle ribs with crispy fried onion pieces making a crispy onion crust. Cut between every third rib and serve.

Smoked BBQ Method:

• Smoker Temp: Hot smoke 180 – 220°F (82-104°C)
• Smoke Time: 5 hrs total
• Grill Temp: Medium-high or 450 – 550°F (282-287°C)
• Grill Time: 12 – 16 minutes

Set your smoker for hot smoke. Smoke pork ribs, bone side down, for 3 hours, replenishing charcoal and smoking wood chunks as needed, maintaining a constant temperature.
Meanwhile, whisk barbecue sauce, whiskey, maple syrup and sriracha in a medium-sized bowl until combined and set aside. After three hours remove the ribs from the smoker and baste with the sauce.
Place one rack of ribs, bone side down, onto a double layer thick sheet of aluminum foil or butcher paper and wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining ribs.
Return to smoker and cook for approximately another 2 hours, until you can see that the ribs are coming away from the bone cleanly. A little tug on the bone will let you know. Remove ribs from smoker. Unwrap.
Preheat grill to 450 – 550°F (282-287°C).
Grill ribs for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until lightly charred, basting frequently with the sauce. Just before you remove the ribs from the grill give the ribs a final baste with the sauce. Make them saucy!
Sprinkle ribs with crispy fried onion pieces making a crispy onion crust. Cut between every third rib and serve.